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Disasters and Displaced Students Print E-mail
      The Department of Education's web site (specifically at http://www.iowa.gov/educate/content/view/1453/1621/ ) includes several pages with information about disaster relief.  A couple of student-specific aspects are highlighted here for the convenience of school officials.
 
Counting Students:
1.  Districts should ascertain whether displaced families intend to return within a reasonable period of time (18 months, for example) to their pre-disaster resident district.  The form that districts may use or modify for their use is called Notice of Intent to Return to District   The form should be filled out by or on behalf of each displaced family who intends to return to the resident district to assist the district in gauging the likelihood of their return.
 
2.  The students of displaced families who intend to return and who will continue their education in the resident district without interruption are to be included on the certified enrollment of the resident district.
 
3.  The students of displaced families who intend to return but whose education will be provided in the district of temporary location of the family also are to be included on the certified enrollment of the resident district.  The resident district will reimburse the serving district a pro rata amount for the days served.
 
4.  Families are not to use open enrollment for these situations;  open enrollment funding does not include all of the funding that accrues to a district per certified enrollment of a resident student.  Open enrollment is appropriate if a family is displaced from District A to District B, but desires that their children attend District C.
 
Transportation:
      Districts are encouraged (as Area Education Agency (AEA) chief administrators are so advised) to cooperate during these extraordinary circumstances to allow the school buses of a contiguous district to temporarily run necessary bus routes outside the boundary of the resident district.  Disputes are to be handled by AEA boards per 285.9.  However, displaced families who desire for their children to continue their education in the resident district without interruption may be required to be responsible for transportation to and from school when the AEA determines that it is not cost effective for the resident district to provide the transportation.

 

Last Updated ( Monday, 28 July 2008 )